Friday, October 26, 2012

ConspiringConspiring Working together; literally, to
conspire is “to breathe together” (OED) with him how to load and
bless

With fruit the vines that
round the thatch-evesthatch-eves
Thatch-eaves, the edge of thatched roofs run;

To bend with apples the moss'd
cottage-trees,

And fill all fruit with
ripeness to the core;

To swell the gourd, and
plump the hazel shells

With a sweet kernel; to set
budding more,

And still more, later flowers
for the bees,

Until they think warm days
will never cease,

For summer has
o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft
amid thy store?

Sometimes whoever seeks
abroad may find

Thee sitting careless on a
granary floor,

Thy hair soft-lifted by the
winnowingwinnowing Separating
the wheat from the chaff, the heavy from the light wind;

Or on a half-reap'd furrow
sound asleep,

Drows'd with the fume of
poppies, while thy hookhook Scythe

Spares the next swath
and all its twined flowers:

And sometimes like a gleanergleaner One who gathers the remaining food
after the reaper has harvested the field thou dost keep

Steady thy ladenladen Loaded down head across a
brook;

Or by a cyder-press, with
patient look,

Thou watchest the last
oozings hours by hours.

Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they?Where are they?
Rhetorical convention known as ubi sunt, often appearing in poems
that meditate on the transitory nature of life and the inevitability of
death.

Brrrr - things sure have turned chill here this past weekend, however I'm not going to complain. I've grown very tired of the hot humid weather that seem to have hung over us for so long. we are finally going to get to what Joseph has been waiting for in school a study of farming of sheep. Back in the late summer I purchased us some drop spindles and wool to use with this block and he has been dying to use them. He's been working on knitting - he already knows how to crochet. I' knitting him a Weasley sweater from Knitted Charms - hope to have it done by the end of December when cold weather really hits - maybe I'll get lucky and get it done for Christmas. His Monday baking will be making pumpkin spice cookies. Here's what will be on the dinner table this week.

This is a variation of the Pumpkin Pasties recipe in The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz. If you ever get a chance to get your hands on this wonderful book - do so. It has some wonderful traditional English recipes that are delicious. These little hand pies are so simple to make that I had Joseph make them for our Monday baking to use for our afternoon snack.

1. Combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger in a small bowl. Stir to mix well. Set aside.

2. Make the pie crust. Roll out the pie crusts and cut into four-inch circles.

3. Put 1 - 2 Tablespoons of the pumpkin filling into one side of the pastry circles. Then fold over and crimp the edges with a fork to seal it. Make a couple of slashes in the tops with a sharp knife to make vents.

4. Brush the top of each with the milk and sprinkle with colored sugar of choice.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Happy October! This year seem to be flying by ever so quickly. One month begins and then its done. I always heard that the older you get the faster time passes - it seems to be true. Oh, to be a child so that I could relish and delight in the slow leisurely days of time. I do hope you are having a wonderful day and here's what's on our table this week.